Book Details:

Book Title: Crimes Past by Lauren Carr
Series: A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 13)
Category: Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: October 16, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

Book Description:

It’s a bittersweet reunion for Mac Faraday when members of his former homicide squad arrive at the Spencer Inn. While it is sweet to attend the wedding of a former colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been the victim of a double homicide on her own wedding night.

The brutal slaying weighing heavy on his mind, Mac is anxious to explore every possibility for a break in the cold case—even a suggestion from disgraced former detective Louis Gannon that one of their former friends was the killer.
​
When the investigator is brutally slain, Mac Faraday rips open the cold case with a ruthless determination to reveal which of his friends was a cold-blooded murderer.

Crimes Past book trailer https://www.youtube.com/embed/02uZYtl9jFc

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/900970.Lauren_Carr

Book Details:

Book Title: Spring Thaw by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult fiction, 237 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery, Short Stories
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: August 12, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

Book Description:

In today’s hectic world, many whodunit fans don’t have time to get their mystery fix diving into a whole novel. Lauren Carr’s SPRING THAW AND OTHER MYSTERY SHORT STORIES is for these fans—but that doesn’t mean whodunit fans who do have time can’t dive in as well.

A novella, Spring Thaw features retired federal agent Chris Matheson from Lauren Carr’s newest bestselling cold case series. When his late father’s former friend is indicted for the seven year old murder of a church bishop, Chris renews old broken friendships to thaw out the cold case.

Featuring Mac Faraday from Lauren Carr’s popular Mac Faraday Mysteries, an estate auction turns into a deadly affair after Gnarly's antics cause Mac to purchase a gem of a dress, which isn't his color in Killing Bid. (Previously published in Lauren Carr’s BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Beauty to Die For features the Lovers in Crime, Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates in a race against the Angel of Death to clear the name of a dying woman's son, who was framed for murdering Miss Pennsylvania. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Countdown to Murder returns to the Lovers in Crime where Cameron and Joshua try to solve the murder of a young pregnant widow before it happens. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Mystery fans will see that every dog has his day, especially if that dog is Gnarly. In Lucky Dog, Gnarly helps Mac Faraday to solve the murder of a wealthy society girl. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Dog Loving Mystery Fans will get a special treat when they read The Gnarly Rehabilitation Program. In this Gnarly Mystery Short, Bert and Ernie learn the hard way that crime does not pay when they dog nap Gnarly. (Previously published as a bonus feature with A WEDDING AND A KILLING.)

Gnarly, the rambunctious German shepherd, is also features in Lauren Carr’s Christmas short, A Gnarly Christmas. It is Christmas day and Gnarly has been up to his old tricks again. Now he's in the dog house--or rather the boathouse--after stealing the Christmas feast! Moments after Archie and Mac leave Spencer Manor, Gnarly hears a call for help from Rocky, the Maltese down the street. Four assassins for hire have invaded the home of Rocky's elderly owners. While the home invaders wait for instructions from a mysterious caller, Gnarly must plot to stop them. Can Gnarly save Christmas with only the help of an 8-pound Maltese dressed in an elf suit? (Previously published as a single short story by the same name.)

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/900970.Lauren_Carr

AVAILABLE in print or ebook

Crimes Past -
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Past-Faraday-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B07G4JVXDY

Spring Thaw -
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GDVFF8C

Praise for Lauren Carr's books:

“Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list."
- Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental

"Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!"
- Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

"Lauren Carr's books are never boring, that's for sure. They entertain, give us a good mystery to dig into, keep the reader guessing, give us a few good laughs and make us eager for the next book. Warning: Lauren Carr's series are addictive, so be ready to read more than just one book!"
- Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads

"She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end."
- Working Mommy Journal

"Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end."
- Every Free Chance Book Reviews

Story Ideas: From the Author or Her Characters

By Lauren Carr

“Where do you get your ideas?” is a common interview question for fiction authors.

While the words may be the same, the tone and expression of the one posing the question can differ greatly—from being mightily impressed to awfully concerned. Sort of like the way my sister looked at me when she said, “I don’t know how your mind works.”

Neither do I.

The fact is, I have always had a highly active imagination. Yes, I was one of those kids who had imaginary friends. I still do! Now they’re starring in my mysteries.

As a child, books often served as a launching off point for my own stories which I would act out in the backyard with my dog, who grudgingly wore costumes to portray his roles. Of course, he got big headed about it and would often storm off to his dog house in a snit. Stars!

Sometimes, I would get ideas from other stories—which is totally legit. Many famous books have been inspired by the work of others. Dan Brown came up with Digital Fortress after reading Sidney Sheldon’s Doomsday Conspiracy.

I remember as a child starting to read a Bobbsey Twins mystery, only getting a couple of chapters in, and then setting it aside and going off on my own adventure. When I would return to finish, I would be disappointed because my story intrigued me so much more.

Anything can inspire me. A friend being late when meeting me for lunch can serve up a story idea involving the assassination of an ambassador and a witness’s grand escape from a band of highly trained assassins. But who are the assassins working for? That is the mystery.

I admit, I am always searching for more and fresh ideas. My recent release, Murder By Perfection was inspired by the news story of a real murder. A suburban housewife in her forties was found strangled to death in her front yard. The attractive woman was the mother of two, with a successful husband, and lived in an upper-middle class neighborhood. From the outside looking in, she had the perfect life.

However, in their search for the killer, the police discovered that underneath that perfection—everything was rotten. She had a secret life—that of an internet porn star. For a fee, viewers could go onto her site where she would model sexy lingerie and other things.

Dreams are another big contributor. My current work in progress, The Root of Murder, which is a Lovers in Crime mystery, was inspired by a YouTube video about a surprising discovery one woman made after getting her DNA ancestry results. The next morning, I woke up with the whole story written in my mind.

Some of my story ideas have evolved from previous story ideas. For example, Crimes Past has been fermenting in my mind for years—so long that I couldn’t tell you where the original idea came from. I’ve known for several books that I wanted Mac to go back to investigate a cold case—one that involved his colleagues, but I just couldn’t find the right case for that reunion. It started coming together after I wrote ICE, a Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, which came to me from a documentary I saw about a group of former students investigating the cold case murder of their beloved teacher.

Once inspired with a story idea, the fun stuff begins. Keep in mind, very often these ideas are just that—ideas to jump off from. The actual storyline still needs to come together.

That is where my series characters come in.

As the writer of four series, I have a variety of characters to work with. Some plotlines work better with some mysteries than others. For example, the double cold case murder of a bride and groom, a pair of detectives, in a high-class hotel filled with cops was made for Mac Faraday. At first blush, I wanted to take him back to Washington to investigate the case, but Mac didn’t want to leave Spencer, Maryland.

I know what you’re saying. That sounds weird. For someone who is not a writer, that sounds crazy. “You mean you have fictional people telling you what to write?” Mac Faraday is a fictional character, after all. Yes, my characters do have a say in how a storyline progresses.

My books are character driven. I develop my characters based on my mystery. My mystery is a puzzle. Yes, I know who “did it” before I sit down to write it. I know the beginning, I know the ending. But I can say that almost always, the road to the ending is not what I had planned when I sat down to write my first sentence. For the book to end the way I want it, I need certain things to happen and I depend on my characters to make that happen.

Characters who won’t direct me to my ending aren’t fully developed. For example, I know how each of my series characters drink their coffee. I know what restaurants some like better than others. More than once, I have eliminated characters and replaced them with entirely different characters (not main series characters) because that character wouldn’t take the story in the direction it needed to go.

I also know when a series character is ready for a change.

For example, in Crimes Past, many readers were shocked at the departure of Dallas Walker from David’s life and the entrance of Lieutenant Commander Hope West. Some readers may think that the change was totally on my part, possibly with input from some readers who didn’t like Dallas.

Well, as the author, I do have veto power in the final edit. Actually, the character of David O’Callaghan had grown so much since the first installment of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, that he had outgrown Dallas. Six installments ago, he would not have been ready for Hope. When it came time to write Crimes Past, he was ready for me to bring her in.

Many readers are very excited about the arrival of Hope West and her son in the Mac Faraday Mysteries and are curious about the direction the series will go now.

So am I.

I’ll email Gnarly in his dog house to ask what’s next.

Prizes: Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Lauren Carr, author of Crimes Past (open internationally to wherever Amazon delivers / 1 winner)

(ends Dec 22, 2018)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/defcd44e427/

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

​Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Website - http://mysterylady.net/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheMysteryLadie

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991

InstaGram - https://www.instagram.com/authorlaurencarr/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/900970.Lauren_Carr

HOSTED BY

https://www.ireadbooktours.com/

THANKS FOR VISITING & HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

Book Details:

Book Title: Murder by Perfection by Lauren Carr
Series: Thorny Rose Mystery Series (Volume 3)
Category: Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: May 31, 2018
Format available for review: print, ebook (mobi, ePub, PDF) & Audible download
Willing to send print books to: USA and Canada
Tour dates: Oct 8 to Nov 2, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

Book Description:

Perfection can be a fatal endeavor.

Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.

Author's Book Page - http://www.mysterylady.net/murder-by-perfection2.html

Book Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ2WoYPd5_c&authuser=0

Add to your shelves -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40025815-murder-by-perfection

Murder By Perfection is the 3rd book in the Thorny Rose Mysteries -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/173339-thorny-rose-mysteries

Author - http://www.mysterylady.net/thorny-rose-mysteries.html

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CTTZXFN?ref=series_rw_dp_labf

Includes -

1 Kill and Run
2 A Fine Year for Murder
2.5 Twofer Murder
3 Murder By Perfection

AVAILABLE in print or ebook -

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Perfection-Thorny-Rose-Mystery/dp/1718620233/

B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-by-perfection-lauren-carr/1128848628?ean=9781718620230

Put a Little Love in Your Murder and Mayhem
By Lauren Carr

How is it that love and murder seem to go hand in hand when it comes to murder mysteries?

Think about it. We pick up a mystery because we want to read about murder and mayhem. Yet, somewhere, someplace, whether it be in the forefront of the plot or in the background, there’s an interweaving of romance.

Nancy Drew had Ned hanging around.

Perry Mason had Della Street at his beck and call—at least I think so. You could never really tell. That was one of the things that kept readers coming back. Are they or aren’t they?

Mystery fans fell in love with Elizabeth George’s Inspector Thomas Lynley and his late wife Helen. When George killed Helen off, I was as mad at Elizabeth George as if she pulled the trigger. (Actually, as the writer, didn’t she pull the trigger?)

Romance is not only found in murder mysteries. On the other side of the bookshelf, in the romance genre, mystery often plays a big role in romance

novels. I remember not being able to put down Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, one of literature’s greatest romance novels, which is filled with mystery surrounding the death of Rebecca, the first Mrs. DeWinter.

Even mysteries with unattached detectives, some who want nothing to do with love, or who are never successful at it, usually seem to have a couple of characters who have been struck with cupid’s arrow somewhere in the plot. It is not uncommon for the protagonist to be dragged into the mystery to save the couple’s union. Does anybody know how often the hard-boiled detective has been hired by the wife of a murder suspect to clear her husband or boyfriend’s name?

“Love is for suckers and fools,” the detective will grumble before going off to solve the case, only because he wants to bring a smile to the poor lady’s pretty face.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I’m all for love and romance, especially when it means a big box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day.

Love has a big part in murder mysteries. Mystery writers, including myself, seem to always write it in and readers love to scoop it up. From the first installment of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, readers were anxious for Mac and his lady love Archie to get together.

Readers and reviewers were thrilled when I matched Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica up with Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy for the Thorny Rose mysteries. The honeymoon is over in Murder By Perfection, but that doesn’t mean the bloom is off the rose by any means as they struggle to find that perfect balance between their careers and marriage.

Why does love play such a big role in murder mysteries?

Well, the answer can be found in the definition of the two emotions.

Love: The definition of Love as defined by Google is “an intense feeling of deep affection.”

Murder: Also according to Google: “The unlawful, premeditated killing of another human being.” While Google doesn’t go on to say it, it can go without saying that this act is brought about by an intense feeling, but not of affection, the feeling that is opposite of love: hatred.

In my opinion the mixture of these two emotions, so extreme from each other, is akin to a literary sweet and sour mix. In one chapter, we have the plot surrounding the intense act of murder, only be complemented by the sweet love scenes.

When planning the storyline for the third Thorny Rose Mystery, Murder by Perfection, I could not resist adding a little tension to Murphy and Jessica’s young marriage. What marriage doesn’t hit a rough patch, especially when both members of the couple are struggling to succeed in their respective careers.

In this excerpt, they struggle to discuss the murder of a mobster while keeping their personal feelings in check:

With a sensuous grin at her reflection in the mirror, Jessica applied an extra dab of cologne behind her ears—all the better for Murphy to nibble on. She rose from her seat and stepped back to study her reflection.

Her new silk hand-painted robe. Naked underneath. Wait!

She snatched the scissors from the dressing table and clipped off the price tag.

After tossing it into the waste basket under the vanity, she resumed the inspection.

High heels? All the better to show off long legs. Spray on tan? No missed spots? Check. Hair? Not one strand out of place. At least until Murphy runs his fingers through it. Champagne chilling for me. Organic grape juice for Murphy. Raw oysters and Caesar salad in the fridge. Spa ready to go. Strawberries dipped in chocolate for afterwards. Everything is ready for date night. What could possibly go wrong?

Her cell phone erupted into song to signal a call from one of her medical school friends. She checked the caller ID. It read Brett. With a sigh, she connected the call.

“Hey, Jessica. What cha doin’?”

“Cooking dinner and waiting for my husband to come home.” She made a point of referring to Murphy’s imminent arrival. Ever since his relationship with his live-in girlfriend had ended, Brett seemed to be too close to her for comfort. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or not. In either case, she decided to insert a reminder of her marital status whenever possible.

“Playing the happy homemaker, huh?”

“That’s right. What’s up, Brett?”

“Well, a group of us are going to blow off steam by going to that new Marvel movie that’s releasing tonight. Wanna come?”

“Thanks, but I intend to blow off some steam myself with my husband.” She let out a wicked laugh. “If you know what I mean.”

Brett responded with his own chuckle. “Aw, sounds like you’re going to have a more exciting evening than I am.”

“I’m sure I will.”

“I don’t suppose you would care to take any pictures to show me what I’m missing?”

Jessica was struck speechless. When she found her voice, she said, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Murphy has arrived,” Nigel’s voice came through the speaker.

“Who was that?” Brett asked.

“Our butler. Goodbye, Brett.” She disconnected the call. Her heartbeat quickening with anger at Brett, Jessica ran the brush through her hair one last time.

Determined not to allow him to ruin date night, she shoved his inappropriate comment out of her mind and focused on Murphy before hurrying down the stairs.

She landed in the middle of the two-story foyer as he stepped through the door.

“Welcome home, darling!” She dropped her robe to the floor.

Murphy’s eyes grew wide. His mouth dropped open.

“It’s date night.” She winked at him.

In her fantasy, she expected him to grab her up into his arms and ravage her—hopefully right there on the floor in the foyer. At the very least, she expected him to give her a hug and a kiss.

Instead, he stood before her with his hat in his hand— looking horribly guilty.
“Your CO called you,” she said. “You have to go on a mission.”

“Not exactly,” he said while looking her up and down. “Kind of. Sort of.”

Her hands landed on her bare hips. “What do you mean ‘kind of, sort of ’?”

He picked up the robe from the floor. “I’m not going out of town.”

“Great.” She grasped his belt and pulled him to her.

He wrapped the robe around her shoulders. “The good news is that we’re going to have our date night.”

She gazed up into his eyes. “And the bad news?” she asked in a breathy voice.
He looked her naked body up and down. “We’re going to have to spend it fully dressed.”

Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

“But we can still do ‘what not’ afterwards.” He set his hat on the foyer table. “As a matter of fact, to make it up to you,” he proceeded to unbutton his shirt “—I’d be willing to squeeze some ‘what not’ in beforehand if that’s what it takes to put a smile to your face.”

The taste of a good romance in a mystery can take the edge off the gruesomeness of a killer plot, which is a good thing. I have found that books with no romance or tender emotion between characters to be depressing and leave a feeling of hopelessness—which is another genre.

Personally, I prefer a little love mixed in with my murder and mayhem.

Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card (open internationally to wherever Amazon delivers / 1 winner)

giveaway - https://goo.gl/c78dum

Ends November 10, 2018!

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

​Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Website - http://mysterylady.net/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheMysteryLadie

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991

InstaGram - https://www.instagram.com/authorlaurencarr/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/900970.Lauren_Carr

HOSTED BY:

https://www.ireadbooktours.com

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Laura Vosika’s THE WATER IS WIDE (Book 3 of The Blue Bells Chronicles) Virtual Book Tour October 1 – December 14 2018!

Title: THE WATER IS WIDE
Author: Laura Vosika
Publisher: Gabriel’s Horn Press
Pages: 451
Genre: Time Travel/Historical Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

After his failure to escape back to his own time, Shawn is sent with Niall on the Bruce’s business. They criss-cross Scotland and northern England, working for the Bruce and James Douglas, as they seek ways to get Shawn home to Amy and his own time.

Returning from the Bruce’s business, to Glenmirril, Shawn finally meets the mysterious Christina. Despite his vow to finally be faithful to Amy, his feelings for Christina grow.

In modern Scotland, having already told Angus she’s pregnant, Amy must now tell him Shawn is alive and well—in medieval Scotland. Together, they seek a way to bring him back across time.

They are pursued by Simon Beaumont, esteemed knight in the service of King Edward, has also passed between times. Having learned that Amy’s son will kill him—he seeks to kill the infant James first.

The book concludes with MacDougall’s attack on Glenmirril, Amy and Angus’s race to be there and Shawn’s attempt to reach the mysterious tower through the battling armies.

Author's Book Page -

http://www.bluebellstrilogy.com/Books.php#TheWaterisWide

Watch the Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1z7mHo-OxQ&list=PL1M7umb_F_hIUIeqM5z8oeaX4mGrj1afB&index=3

Add to your shelves -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13498120-the-water-is-wide

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-water-is-wide-the-blue-bells-trilogy-book-3-by-laura-vosika

The Water is Wide is the 3rd book in The Blue Bells of Scotland Trilogy -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/93431-blue-bells-trilogy

Author - http://www.bluebellstrilogy.com/Books.php

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BL4LW67?ref=series_rw_dp_labf

Includes -

1 Blue Bells of Scotland
2 The Minstral Boy
3 The Water is Wide
4 Westering Home
5 The Battle is O'er

The Water is Wide is avialable in print or ebook -

Amazon - https://amzn.to/2ujdj3Z

As the shadows lengthened, Shawn cleared his throat. “Any thoughts on where to spend the night? Is there a Holiday Inn around here?”

“There’s no inn of any sort.”

“Yeah, and that’s a problem,” Shawn said, “because last time I slept in the great outdoors, a wolf climbed into bed with me, and it didn’t really end well for either of us.” He rubbed his thigh, where a long scar would forever remind him of the night.

“You did well.” Niall cocked a grin at him. “It almost makes me glad to have you at my side, despite your infernal complaining.” The sky over the leafy canopy grew grayer as they climbed another hill.

“I haven’t complained for half an hour, and considering I’m stuck with you, that’s pretty impressive.” An owl hooted, low and mournful. “I’m pretty sure that knocks a couple months off any Purgatory time I’d racked up.” The river crackled, cold water splashing against thin ice on the edges, beside them.

“Any time?” Niall chortled, a candle against the darkening wood. “You’ll be fortunate to get as high as Purgatory, and if you do, you’ve racked up so much time there, they’ll have to kick the rest of them straight into Heaven to make room for all the Purgatory you need!”

“I don’t think it works like....” Shawn stopped at the top of the hill, staring at the sight before them. “Holy ruins, Batman. What is that?”

Niall and his pony halted by his side. The animal tossed its head, and nuzzled Niall’s arm. Before them stretched a wide expanse of broken stone walls, stone buildings with mouths and eyes gaping wide in the twilight, on either side of a long road. One vast length of wall held numerous niches. Thirty yards away, crumbling walls enclosed rows of short, stout, stone posts. Beyond it, a stairway led down into a dark maw. Bushes sprang from cracks. Trees grew in and among the abandoned structures. Shadows stretched everywhere, as the sun sank, sending fiery orange and pink rays down the center road, lighting the mist that swirled along it.

“That,” said Niall with a smile, “is our inn. God provides.” He touched his heels to his pony, starting down the gentle slope.

Shawn coughed loudly. “Uh, yeah, He sure does. The question is what has He provided? What is this place?”

“A Roman fort.” Niall led his pony down the center path, the remains rising on either side. A bird called somewhere in the trees.

“The Roamin’ in.” Shawn used English for the last two words. “God has a sense of humor.”

Niall smiled, pointing to the stairs leading down. “There. ’Tis indoors.”

“It’s a pun,” Shawn clarified. “It’s a whole lot funnier if you see it spelled out.”

“No doubt,” Niall agreed. “Shall we gather firewood? Keep any more wolves from climbing in bed with you?”

“Yes, let’s. And what keeps away the ghosts of the Roman legionnaires? Or their victims?”

“One sight of your face ought to scare any spirits back to the underworld.”

“If that doesn’t work,” said Shawn, “your pathetic attempts at music will.”

“Perhaps you could brag of your exploits with women.” Niall grinned. “Even Hades is better than having to listen to that.”

Shawn laughed. “You’re jealous.”

They picked their way over the darkening path strewn with stones. In the trees above, an owl hooted.

“What happens tomorrow?” Shawn nodded at the limping pony.

Niall’s mouth was taut. “We hope he’s better. If not, we let him rest, and spend the time learning to play the lute. We’ve shelter, walls and a roof, which is more than we expected.”

They stopped before their intended room. Shawn sighed. It would do no good to stay in the open, but the stone structure, with its empty eyes and stone stairs descending into darkness, was hardly welcoming.

“We’ll need wood,” Niall said. They tethered the ponies to a tree springing up near the ruin, left the lute beside them, and set out to gather branches.

The sky was now deep blue, the ruins cloaked in shadow. A wolf howled in the distance. The air grew chillier as they worked, till a night among ghosts looked inviting, even homey, as long as it was warm. They piled the kindling on the lowest step outside their chosen abode, where it would warm the room, but send its smoke up into the sky. Niall scraped flint, and soon, they had flickering light by which to eat their hard bread and berries. Shawn settled back, content with his stomach less than empty, and pulled out the lute. He adjusted a couple tuning pegs, tried a few chords, and began one of the songs he’d played on guitar. Niall relaxed against another wall, watching his fingers, humming along. “Let me try,” he said at last. Shawn handed it over, giving instruction as Niall leaned over the strings, working his fingers into unfamiliar positions for chords, and picking out melodies.

Outside, a pony whickered. Niall and Shawn froze, looking to the doorway, where they could see only black night beyond the glowing fire. Niall laid the lute down gently. “We've been careless,” he said softly. They reached for their knives.

“I’m kind of hoping it’s only a ghost,” Shawn whispered back. The familiar tingle of adrenaline began, a tremoring of the nerves in his arms. His muscles tightened. “Do we wait for whoever it is to come in?”

Niall shook his head. “And wait for a whole army to come in on us? If I’m to die tonight, ’twill be fighting for my life.” He rose, back against the wall, and inched around till he stood pressed by the doorway, where the fire crackled. On the other side, Shawn did the same, his heart pounding hard. Niall pointed to his chest, then to Shawn, and held up fingers in a silent count: One. Two. Three.

He sprang over the small flames, into the night. Shawn leapt behind him, knife ready, heart beating triple time, nerves screaming! The fire threw shadows across the pony, who balked against his tether. Shawn saw nothing. But he heard the crack of a twig just beyond the light. He and Niall lunged. The single crack grew into a panicked flurry of rustling leaves, cracking twigs, branches snapping back in their faces as they gave chase. Shawn ducked and swerved, saw Niall ahead, veered, and suddenly, there was a pile of arms, legs. He dropped his knife.

“Get down!” Niall roared. Shawn threw himself to the ground, hands over his head.

All became silent for a heartbeat...two.

Then the forest erupted with sound!

“I didn’t mean you!” Niall said indignantly.

“I’ve done naught, Milord! Don’t kill me!”

Then Niall was laughing, great gusty roars of merriment. “Shawn, get up! You’re hiding from a boy!”

“Don’t kill me! I can help you! I can help your hobin, Milord!”

Shawn inched his hand from over his eyes to see the dark shape of Niall sitting astride a boy who managed to flounder, fight, and cower, all at once, while protesting. He climbed irritably to his feet. “You said get down!”

“I meant him.”

“You staged this because your lute-playing sucks!” Shawn threw back into the night. “You needed a distraction.”

“Thank goodness at least you can play a lute, because the way you fight, a mouse would have gotten the better of us!”

The boy looked back and forth between them. He stopped struggling. “Milord?”

Shawn realized both their faces were showing. He recoiled into shadow. Niall climbed to his feet, his knife at the ready. “Get up.”

“He’s just a boy,” Shawn sighed. “Put your knife away.”

“Aren’t we sending boys to war?” Niall asked. “What makes you think a boy can’t kill?”

Shawn had no answer. He could think only of the boys to whom he’d taught trombone, so many years ago in the future—boys in sports jerseys, with trimmed hair, worrying about who to ask to prom. This boy stood before them in tatters. He wrapped his arms around his skinny body. His hair hung past his shoulders. Clarence. His father’s killer, as he’d last seen him, flashed through Shawn’s mind. Yes, boys could kill. He didn’t want to believe this one would. He just didn’t want any more ugliness in his world.

“What’s your name?” Niall demanded.

“I have none,” the boy said.

“No name? How can you have no name?”

The boy shrugged. “My parents died long ago, my mother in childbirth, and my father in battle. A farrier found me and took me in. He didn’t know my name.”

“Surely he called you something?”

“Red.” The boy’s shivering increased.

“Niall,” Shawn said.

Niall pressed the boy, ignoring Shawn. “And why are you not with him now?”

“He was....” Red’s teeth clacked together. He clenched them tight, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, and tried again. “He was killed when the soldiers came through. I ran into the forest and hid. They were afraid to follow me into the ruins.”

“Niall, he’s cold.”

Niall’s knife remained pointed at the boy. “Which soldiers?”

“They were English, Milord. Meaning no offense, Milord.” His teeth clattered again. “If you’re English.”

“Niall!” Shawn stepped forward, his anger growing. “He’s just a kid! He’s about to....”

Before he finished, the boy collapsed. Shawn was under him, catching his sagging body before it hit the ground.

Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, and musician. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, set in modern and medieval Scotland, has garnered praise and comparisons to writers as diverse as Diana Gabaldon and Dostoevsky. Her poetry has been published in The Moccasin and The Martin Lake Journal 2017.

She has been featured in newspapers, on radio, and TV, has spoken for regional book events, and hosted the radio program Books and Brews. She currently teaches writing at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

As a musician, Laura has performed as on trombone, flute, and harp, in orchestras, and big bands. She lives in Brooklyn park with 5 of her 9 children, 3 cats, and an Irish Wolfhound.

Her latest book is the time travel/historical fiction, The Water is Wide.

Website - http://www.bluebellschronicles.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/laura.vosika.author

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/lauravosika

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3057598.Laura_Vosika

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